Siren in Waiting

Chapter Eight

Bo hadn’t slept a wink. His every muscle felt abused from sitting on the floor of the jail cell with cold metal pressed to his back. His skull felt like it was going to cave in. But that was nothing compared to the nausea in his gut.

Mouse hadn’t come.

He’d played checkers for hours, letting the sheriff win game after game. All the while, he’d been sure that any minute Mouse would burst in the doors, all soft, feminine worry, and she would fuss over him. At four a.m., the sheriff had given up. He’d made Bo get back into the cell, and then he’d put his hat over his head and napped until his deputy had gotten in a few hours later.

Len Miller wasn’t as tolerant as the sheriff. He was an asshole who needed to make up for his teeny-tiny dick with a badge and a bad attitude.

And Deputy Len was friends with that dickwad Brian, who seemed to be waking up. Bo watched him with narrowed eyes. His big body shifted on the cot, and he burped a couple of times before sitting up.

“What the fuck?” Brian asked, wiping his eyes with the back of his hand. He immediately turned and vomited.

Bo’s stomach churned. How long before they let him call his brother? How long before Aidan figured out something was wrong? Bo was pretty damn sure everyone in town knew he was wasting away in jail, but Aidan rarely went to town, and he didn’t really talk to a lot of people about anything except business. Lexi had her head in her laptop most of the time. Lucas would just be getting in from Dallas. Maybe, if Lucas had to stop for gas, someone would mention it to him.

Otherwise, he was pretty sure he was stuck here until the sheriff got back. There was no way Deputy Len was going to let him go. He was enjoying the fact that Bo was in jail.

“You’re the reason I’m here, ain’t you?” Brian looked like his beauty rest hadn’t put him in a better mood.

“I ain’t. You’re the reason we’re here because you’re an asshole.” Brian had about seventy pounds on Bo, but Bo was through backing down. “And if you ever mention her name again, I’ll kill you.”

There was a chuckle from the deputy’s desk. “Now that sounded like a threat, O’Malley.”

“It wasn’t. It was a promise.” Mouse might not have shown up, but maybe he deserved that after the way he’d treated her yesterday. He would eventually get out of jail, and he’d show up on her doorstep—if it would hold his weight. He would show up, and he would get on his goddamn knees if he had to.

He loved her. It was right there in the center of his body, an odd sensation that warmed him. Even though he was sitting in jail, he was okay because he was finally going to make things right with Mouse.

“I don’t think I like the way you’re talking to me, O’Malley. You know, you used to be a good guy until you started hanging with the fags.” Brian’s fists curled in his hands.

And he was going to stop listening to that shit, too. He heard it all the time, and he just took it. He was sick of taking it. His blood was starting to boil. He’d put up with it for far too long. “You talk a lot about fags, Brian. You know, I read somewhere that most prejudice comes from ignorance. That just might be true because you’re the most ignorant person I know. Now stop talking about my family, and we can avoid another fight where I set you on your ass.”

“You didn’t set me on my ass, you motherfucker.” Brian managed to get to his feet.

Bo struggled to his. He could hear Wanda in the background. She was on the phone giving better play-by-play than an ESPN color announcer.

“They’re going to fight right there in that jail cell, Patty. Bo just called Brian a dummy. I know he is, but he doesn’t like to be told that.” Wanda kept it up.

Bo looked out at the deputy. Brian might have weight on him, but he was also hungover. Bo was just tired, but his adrenaline was starting to flow. He clenched his fists. “Are you going to stop this?”

Deputy Len stood up. He walked around to the bars, nightstick in hand. There was a malicious little smile on his weaselly face. He walked around to the front of the cage to where Brian held on. He shoved the nightstick through the bars, and for one moment, Bo was terrified the deputy was going to start in on Brian with the weapon.

Nope. It was worse. Bo shrank back, and Len handed Brian the weapon.

“Oops, I must have lost my hold,” Len said with a sigh. “I hate it when prisoners get the upper hand, don’t you, O’Malley?”

Brian clutched the evil-looking stick in his hand. Len leaned against the cell bars and yawned as though all of this was simply boring to him.

Wanda stood up at her desk. “What are you doing, Leonard?”

The deputy shrugged. “Well, I was trying to stop the prisoners from fighting. I dropped my nightstick. I guess I’ll have to go get the Taser.”

Bo had no doubt who he would use that Taser on. This was going to get really ugly.

Brian wasted no time. He charged across the small cell, nightstick raised. Bo barely managed to avoid the swing of Brian’s meaty arm. He ducked and rolled to the other side of the cell as the sound of wood striking metal clanged through the building.

God, that would have been his head. Bo looked for anything to defend himself with. There was nothing in the cell but a toilet and the cot, both bolted down.

He was fucked.

“Don’t you dare touch him!” Mouse roared into the room. She practically threw herself against the bars, her arms coming through them as though she could catch the bigger man and keep him away from Bo.

“Mouse, you get back.” Bo wasn’t about to let that asshole get his hands on her.

“Lookee here, O’Malley. You got a mouse coming to your rescue.” Len hadn’t moved from his position. “Ain’t that lucky for you?”

“Do something,” Mouse demanded, looking at the deputy. “He’s going to kill Bo.”

Len sighed. “I’ll go get the Taser. It might take me a minute or two to find it.”

“I suggest you find it sooner, Deputy. You now have witnesses to your improper use of police force. I assure you, if Mr. O’Malley comes out of this experience with a single scratch on him, you will be looking at a police brutality charge.”

Bo looked out, and Leo Meyer stood beside the deputy’s desk. He stared at Len, and suddenly the bastard looked like he gave a damn.

Shelley Hughes came running into the room. “Beth, what’s going on? Why the hell does Brian Nixon have a weapon in a jail cell? Give me that.”

What the hell was going on?

Bo pushed that bastard Brian out of the way. He was way too close to Mouse. “Don’t you touch her.”

Leo stepped forward before Shelley could get her hands on Brian. The big former Navy SEAL hooked an arm around each woman’s waist and started to pull them away from the cell. Bo was about to express his gratitude when Mouse dug in. She tightened her hands around the bars.

“Let go, Beth.” Leo’s voice was calm, but there was a dark command behind it.

“Mouse, you let go!” Bo just shouted his command. And then he ducked again because Brian didn’t care that there were witnesses.

“Stop it!” Mouse yelled.

Leo used a little of that muscle of his, and Mouse didn’t stand a chance. Bo thanked whoever had taught Leo Meyer to work out. At least Mouse wasn’t in the line of fire anymore.

Brian lifted the nightstick, and Bo didn’t have a damn place left to go. He looked out at Mouse. Tears were streaking down her face. She struggled against Leo’s hold. Bo wasn’t sure what had brought Aidan’s friend to the sheriff’s department, but he was damn happy the man was here. At least Mouse would be safe.

Bo closed his eyes and waited for his skull to crack.

There was a pop and then the sound of sizzling and a loud groan. Bo opened his eyes just as Brian Nixon fell forward. There was a Taser dart in his back. His enormous body shook with the force of the electric current flowing through him.

Mouse had calmed, but Leo still had an arm wrapped around both women.

“You let him out right now, Len Miller,” Mouse demanded. “I’m going to hire a lawyer. I’m going to sue this whole county starting with you.”

“Now old Mouse is threatening to sue Len. And there’s a really attractive man here who won’t let go of Mouse and Shelley Hughes. Yes, I think so. It would serve Bryce right.” Wanda just kept talking.

“We don’t need your commentary,” Leo said to Wanda. He let both women go as Len opened the cell door.

Wanda looked up at him, utterly unintimidated. “You might not, but Patty sure does. Yes, hon, he’s very bossy. I think so. Just like Aidan. Uh-huh.”

Bo ignored her. He stepped over Brian’s still-twitching body and muscled past the deputy. He pulled Mouse into his arms. He’d never seen a more welcome sight than that pretty face looking up at him. Pretty? Hell, she was beautiful. How had he not seen it before? She wasn’t flashy like Clarissa, but she had the loveliest eyes, and her hair was soft. She usually wore it up, but now it tumbled all around her shoulders and down her back. He let his hands sink into the soft stuff as he pulled her close.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t get the message until this morning,” she whispered.

“It doesn’t matter.” He squeezed her, enjoying the way her breasts felt against his chest. She was so damn sweet. His dick was getting hard. The adrenaline of the fight was still riding him. He wanted to kiss her right here and now.

She’d come. She hadn’t been pissed off. He believed her. She just hadn’t gotten the message. And it looked like he wouldn’t even have to ride on her handlebars to get back home. The thought made him smile.

“I’m just glad you’re here.” He pulled back so he could look at her. Her eyes were still a little red, but there was a tremulous smile on her face. “I have so much to tell you. Can we go somewhere and talk?”

He’d thought about this all night. He had a speech prepared, and at the end, he was going down on one knee and asking her to marry him. There was no need to wait. He’d known deep down she was the one for him for ten years, since that night when she’d taken him in without a single question. She’d been his haven ever since. He’d just been stubborn and stupid and focused on the wrong things. He knew he should wait and buy her a proper ring before he asked, but now that the moment was here, he was brutally impatient to get on with the rest of his life.

“You ready to go?” a deep voice asked from the front of the room.

Bo knew that voice. He turned and saw Trev McNamara standing there, a ferocious scowl on his face. What the fuck was he doing here? Bo checked his temper. He didn’t need to start another fight. There was a perfectly reasonable explanation for Trev being here. There had to be.

Mouse tried to take a step back. She was so shy. Bo wasn’t going to let her be so shy anymore. He pulled her close again. It was time to start staking his claim.

“Did you try to ride that bicycle of yours all the way out here? Did Trev pick you up?” He looked over at Trev, not really giving Mouse a chance to respond. “Thanks for picking up my girl. I’m going to force her to get more comfortable driving.”

“I picked her up last night.” Trev’s eyes were on the place where Bo’s hands held Mouse.

“Trev was nice enough to give me a ride to pick you up. Leo and Shelley came along. Shelley was worried about you,” Mouse explained.

Bo noticed she wasn’t clutching him the way she had in the past. When he’d hugged her before, she’d practically inhaled him. She’d been starved for affection. Now he was going to drown her in it.

“Well, I’m fine. No need to worry now. What do you mean last night?”

Mouse pulled away. There was no way to mistake the fact that she wanted to stand on her own. Bo felt the loss of her warmth as she stepped away from him.

“Wanda, do you need anything else? Can we take him home?” Mouse asked.

Wanda pulled the phone away from her ear. “Are you sure you don’t want to hash this out here, hon? Bo seems to be in a fighting mood.”

“No one’s going to fight,” Mouse promised.

Wanda sighed. “Well, then I guess you’re free to leave.”

“Now, Wanda, I am the deputy here.” Len tried to reassert himself even as he checked Brian Nixon’s pulse.

Wanda wasn’t having it. “And I know your momma. How is she going to feel when I tell her you keep a bottle of whiskey in your desk? And I bet she doesn’t know about your card game every Wednesday night when you’re supposed to be at men’s bible study.”

Len waved. “You’re free to go.”

Bo got a nasty feeling in his gut. Trev didn’t look like a man who was doing a woman a little favor. He was staring at Mouse like he was going to pounce any second. Trev looked predatory and possessive. What had he meant when he’d said he’d picked her up last night?

“I’m going to take Shelley home. She’s been up all night, and I suspect her husband will wonder where she’s been. I’ll drop her off and meet you out at Aidan’s.” Leo put a hand on Shelley’s back. She had flushed at the mention of her husband.

Bo doubted Bryce Hughes would even notice his wife was gone. He’d fucked just about every girl in the county. The man seemed to prefer the trailer-trash girls of the world, and they loved him back. Bo had noticed that Bryce always had people coming in and out of that real estate office of his, and at all hours of the night. Bryce liked to work late, it seemed. Bo felt bad for Shelley. She was a nice lady.

Leo turned to Wanda, pulling a card from his pocket. “You would make an excellent Domme, ma’am. If you ever decide to investigate the lifestyle, give me a call. I can get you into training.”

Wanda stared down at the card, phone still in her hand. “A Dom? I don’t know what that is. Patty, do you know why some man with a ponytail would call me Dom?”

Leo and Shelley walked out toward the parking lot, but Bo just stared as Mouse walked straight up to fucking Trevor McNamara and put her arms around his waist. She leaned in to Trev’s body like she belonged plastered against him. Trev sure as hell wasn’t pushing her away.

“What’s going on here, Mouse?” He suddenly had a terrible feeling that he knew.

Mouse gave him a shy smile. “Trev picked me up last night. I guess you could say we’ve decided to start dating. I hope you’re happy for me. You’ve told me for years that I needed to find a keeper.”

That was a joke. He’d said it a hundred times because trouble always seemed to find Mouse. He’d told her to find a boyfriend, too. He’d said it because he’d known damn sure she wouldn’t find one. Certainly not an ex-football star with addiction problems.

“Yeah, I hope you’re happy for us, Bo.” The way Trev’s hands curled possessively around Mouse’s shoulders set Bo’s teeth on edge. The bastard thought he could just swoop in and steal Bo’s girl, did he? “I want to get along with Beth’s friends. I hope we can do that for her sake.”

“Yes, Patty, Trev is being very polite. But I think Bo just figured out what we’ve known all along.” Wanda didn’t bother to keep her voice down.

Bo flushed. He scrubbed a hand through his hair. He’d just gotten over what people would say about him marrying Mouse. Now he realized that losing Mouse was going to be even more humiliating.

“Bo, are you ready to go? Do we need to take you to your truck?” Mouse asked. Her hand went to Trev’s chest.

His truck was still out at The Rusty Spur. He hoped. Unless someone had towed it. Hell, the way the last twenty-four hours had gone, his truck might have been blown up by aliens or some shit. It would be fitting. “No. Just take me home.”

The Rusty Spur was on the other side of the county. There was no way he was going to ride with them for twenty damn minutes watching Trev hang all over his Mouse.

Fuck. She wasn’t his anymore. How had things gone so fucking wrong in the course of a single evening? How was he going to win her back before she slept with that asshole? Trev wouldn’t wait long. Trev was used to all kinds of freaky shit and probably a whole lot of it. He hadn’t been picky. The asshole could easily give Mouse any number of diseases. No, there was no way Bo was letting that happen.

The good news was Mouse liked to take things slow. She was the kind of girl who slowly pulled off a bandage, hoping and praying that it wouldn’t hurt too much. She took six months to buy a refrigerator, looking at hundreds and researching to get the best price. He had a little time, surely.

He would still talk to her. Ten years couldn’t be erased because one ex-football player gave her a ride home and then offered to drive her out here. It just couldn’t. He would wait until they were out at the ranch, and he would talk to her away from the glaring eyes of Trev. It could still work out.

She just didn’t realize that Bo wanted her. That was the trouble. Once she realized he was finally ready, she would leave all this talk of dating Trev McNamara behind.

“Let’s get the hell out of here,” Bo said, eager to leave the sheriff’s office far behind him. He turned back to Wanda. “You’ll be hearing from my lawyer.”

She smiled brightly. “Lucas? I hope so. That man is delicious. You tell him to bring the paperwork himself. Yes, Patty. I know he likes boys, too. It’s a little naughty. Have you seen him without his shirt on?”

There was no intimidating Wanda. Bo gave up and followed Mouse.

He hated the way her hand slipped down into Trev’s, like it belonged there. Trev’s fingers curled around hers, linking them together. Trev pushed out of the double doors and into the heat. Leo and Shelley were still standing outside. Leo’s head shook as he looked at Trev’s vehicle. Trev’s old pickup was sitting in the parking lot, and it looked like someone was making his opinion known.

“Trev,” Shelley started, her face sympathetic.

Trev stared at his truck for a moment as though the sight didn’t quite register.

“What the hell? How did that happen? We were only in there for a couple of minutes. No more than ten.” Trev dropped Mouse’s hand as he walked around the truck. There, in big, black, spray-painted letters, was a message for Trevor McNamara, former hero of Deer Run.

Go Away

There were squiggles and dots all over the truck, but the message was what Bo found important. Someone didn’t want Trev in town. Someone was willing to trash his car in the Sheriff’s Department parking lot, where anyone could walk out and see him.

Bo pretty much knew just how that person must feel. He wanted Trev out of his fucking town, too.

Trev sat down in the cool sanctuary of Aidan O’Malley’s office and waited. He could hear Aidan talking to his brother. Bo’s voice was low, but Trev got the gist of the conversation. Bo was very unhappy that Aidan was bringing Trev in as the foreman.

One more person who didn’t want him around.

Something ugly was gnawing at his stomach. All he could think about was beer. He just needed one. That other part of him was whining. Just one beer and I’ll shut up. Don’t you want me to shut up for a while?

“I thought you might like some coffee.” Beth stood in the doorway, a mug in her hand. She had on a well-worn pair of jeans and a button-down shirt that looked to be a size too big. It hung off her, but he knew the curves that were there.

Just like that, the voice fled. There wasn’t a place for it when Beth was standing there looking like sunshine. And he really did need the caffeine.

“Thank you, darlin’.” He held out his hand, and she crossed the room. Her eagerness was like a balm on his wounded ego.

“It’s the good stuff,” a sassy voice claimed. Lexi O’Malley stood in the doorway, a smile on her face. Lexi was a lovely woman with a sharp mind and, oftentimes, an even sharper tongue. “Lucas bought one of those single-cup makers. It’s like heaven in a mug.”

Trev took a whiff. It smelled dark and rich.

“It always tastes like motor oil to me. I prefer tea.” Beth looked down at the mug as though trying to understand.

“It’s all right, darlin’. You stick to your tea.” He took a long drink. It was rich and bitter, and entirely wonderful. He just had to be addicted to something, and all he had left was coffee.

“Mouse doesn’t understand the call of caffeine, I’m afraid,” Lexi explained.

“Her name is Beth.” Despite his affection for Lexi, no one was going to call Beth by that name around him again.

Lexi stopped, and her eyes went back and forth between Trev and Beth, assessing and judging the situation. “You and Beth?”

She hadn’t asked Beth. The question had been directed at him, and he couldn’t misread the momma bear protectiveness behind it. “Me and Beth. And yes, I know what I’m doing.”

She stared for a minute more. “Do you know what you’re doing, Beth?”

Beth shook her head. “Not really, but I know I like doing it.” Her face flushed as though she’d just figured out what she’d said could be taken in a risqué fashion. “That wasn’t what I meant.”

“Yes, it was.” Lexi’s face broke into a huge grin. “Well, I have to say I’m happy for both of you. I’ve been trying to convince Aidan to bring Beth with us to The Club for years since she’s…well…you know.”

Trev nodded. Beth was a natural submissive. He hadn’t met many. Even the subs in The Club tended to be more of the “submit in the bedroom”–style subs. “I know.”

“I don’t know. I have no idea what you’re talking about.” Beth’s big eyes looked between them as though trying to decide what was going on.

There was a loud shout from the next room, and Lexi winced.

A tall man with raven-black hair strode into the room, his eyes laser focused on Lexi. He walked in and immediately crowded the small woman. His arms went around her, and Trev could hear his sigh as they connected.

“Hi, baby.”

“Hi, Lucas.” Lexi kissed him, her mouth finding his. Her arms wound around him.

Lucas O’Malley had, at one time, been known as Lucas Cameron. He was the scion of a political family, but he’d left them long before to live with his two loves, Lexi and Aidan.

Lucas nodded his way. “Hello, Trev. Beth.”

Trev liked Lucas O’Malley. “Hello, Lucas. How’s it going?”

Trev reached for Beth’s hand, the impulse so overwhelming, he just gave in.

Lucas didn’t fail to note the exchange. “Well, that didn’t take long.”

Lexi smiled up at him. “You know I always said Trev had the Dom thing down. It’s like a moth to a flame. Speaking of moths to flames, Leo’s in town. Shelley Hughes called him last night when she couldn’t find Trev and worried that he had found a bottle again. I think now we know what he found.”

Lucas smiled. “Seriously, dude, eight hours in this town and you find the sub.”

Beth’s eyes lit up. “Oh, now I get it. I’m the sub. I can handle that. I don’t know why everyone is praising Trev though. Maybe I’m the one who found him.”

Lexi nodded. “Don’t listen to the men, Mou…Beth. They need to have their egos stroked. It’s why they became Doms.”

There was another loud crash from the adjoining room.

Lexi winced again. “Except for that one. Aidan became a Dom because he likes the violence.”

That earned her a little swat from Lucas. “Don’t you start that, brat. You know he’s struggling with this.” The doorbell rang. “That’s probably Leo. You behave.”

Aidan opened the door to the office just as Lucas was leaving. His face was grim, but he smiled as he caught Lucas. “You’re back early.”

Lucas put a hand on his Dom’s waist. Aidan was the Dom, Lucas the switch, and Lexi the sweetly bratty sub. “I finished up. I wanted to come home.”

Aidan leaned forward and pressed his lips to Lucas’s. “I’m glad, O’Malley. Now take our wife out of here, or she’ll run this damn interview.”

Lucas winked at his partner and took Lexi’s hand. He led her out of the room.

Trev looked up at Beth. “Go on, darlin’. I have to talk to Aidan.”

Beth smiled down at him and followed Lucas and Lexi.

Just like that, the light left the room for Trev. He was back to darkness as Aidan frowned at him.

“You playing around with Mouse?”

“Her name is Bethany. Don’t call her Mouse. She isn’t some animal.” Trev tried to keep his anger tamped down.

Aidan walked around the desk and slumped down into his chair. “Thank god someone finally calls her by her name. You serious about her? She’s a damn fine woman.”

That was the question. He could be perfectly serious. He just didn’t know for how long. One day at a time didn’t leave much promise for the long term. What could he offer her if he really couldn’t promise much past tomorrow? “I care about her.”

“So does my brother.”

Bo cared. Trev had seen it in Bo’s eyes. Bo simply wasn’t man enough to really follow up on the emotion. “She’s been alone for years. Don’t make this sound like I walked in and stole her. You know what she is. Bo isn’t a Dom. It would be a disaster if he got together with her. She would be his doormat. She would be miserable.”

“I don’t know if I would say she’d be a doormat, but I do get your point. My brother isn’t a Dom.”

“Not even close.”

Aidan seemed to consider the problem. “But I don’t know that I trust you, either.”

Trev hated this. He hated being at someone else’s whim. He’d spent so long being the freaking center of the universe that it rankled to have sunk so low. His hands curled about the chair he sat in. The need that was always there in the back of his head had taken up residence in his gut. It took everything Trev had not to get up and walk out.

“I can only try my damndest to change your mind. Leo told me Julian called in a favor to get me hired on here. If you’ll just let me work as a hand, you can continue your search for a foreman. I just ask for a year’s worth of honest work.”

Aidan’s brow rose. He leaned forward. “I thought one of the things you required was a safe place to stay. The way Julian explained it, you need a babysitter.”

Trev huffed. Julian had made it sound bad. “I think I have a place to stay. It’s run-down, but I can handle it. I don’t want Beth staying there alone.”

“Out at the old Bellows place?”

Trev nodded.

“That place should be condemned.”

Not if he had anything to say about it. Beth loved it. “It will be fine once she fixes it up. Look, I get you don’t want me here. Just tell me no, and I’ll go. I won’t cause trouble between you and Julian. We can tell him I changed my mind.”

“And then what happens to Beth?”

That was the million dollar question. “I’ll take care of her.”

He wasn’t sure how, but he would do it.

Aidan leaned forward, his eyes never leaving Trev’s face. “My brother is under the impression that you’re just a bump in the road for Beth. He’s sure she’ll come around to his way of thinking if I just tell you to leave.”

“Like I said, do what you need to do. I’ll take care of Beth. She gave herself to me. I can’t ignore that gift. I won’t just because Bo O’Malley has decided to finally step up to the plate after ten years. He didn’t want her until I set eyes on her.”

Aidan sat in quiet judgment, the silence of the room oppressive. It gave Trev too much time to think.

He’d lied to himself. He’d been ready to break the night before. He’d put the coffee mug down. He’d made his decision. He’d shut the door to the truck, and he’d started the long walk inside. It was like he’d been pulled along by some invisible rope. He’d stopped fighting it. There had been a certain peace to just laying down and accepting the inevitable.

And then he’d seen Beth and known he couldn’t afford to give in.

She claimed he’d saved her. It was utterly the other way around.

“Will you submit to weekly drug tests?”

Aidan’s words sent him into another spiral. And what fucking choice did he have? He had a year until he got his money and he could work his own spread. Maybe then he could afford to buy back some small shred of dignity. “Sure. I’ll pee in a cup.”

He was sure his whole face was on fire, but he kept his words measured and even. He drank his coffee. He thought about Beth as Aidan started going over all the rules.

He wished he was still in bed with her. Everything had been all right this morning. The world had been soft and warm. It had been a place where he hadn’t ruined everything. It had been a place where he had never chosen a drink or a line over his family—one where he’d made his parents proud, where he’d shown up at his momma’s deathbed and helped his sister get through it. When he’d held Beth, that real world—the one where he’d screwed everything up—had fallen away, and he was someone else. He’d been Beth’s loving Master. He’d been someone she could count on. He’d been good for something.

“Did you get all that?” Aidan stared at him.

Yeah. The rules. He knew them by heart. Julian had drilled the rules into him every day of the last two years. They all came down to one edict—don’t fuck up. “Yes. I know what to do.”

“I think we can try putting you in charge for a while.” Aidan sat back, his voice softening a bit. “You know how to work a ranch, right? You haven’t forgotten?”

It wasn’t the kind of thing he could forget. It had been his whole childhood. If he’d followed in his father’s path, he might never have gotten into trouble. He would have been there when his mother had gotten sick. He would have made sure Shelley stayed the hell away from Bryce Hughes. He would have lived a quiet life.

Vanilla. Yes, it would have been vanilla. He would never have been trained to see the inherent beauty and value in someone like Bethany Hobbes. He would have ignored her like the rest of the town.

“I recently worked for your partner, Jack Barnes. I think he’ll vouch for my skill.”

Aidan snorted. “Partner? Don’t let Jack hear that. Let me tell you something, I might be a Dom, but my father-in-law scares the crap out of me. Julian softened up after marriage. Marriage and a family simply refined Jack Barnes’s talents for revenge. And he likes the hell out of you.”

At least someone did. Which begged the question. “But you don’t.”

Aidan’s mouth twisted slightly. “Jack doesn’t have our history with you. Or rather, your history with my brother. I don’t know what happened between the two of you. Bo is tight-lipped about a lot of things. I know you were a real good friend to him after I left for college. Our father was a bastard. You know that, right?”

Trev nodded. Conner O’Malley had been a mean drunk, and he’d liked setting his kids at each other’s throats to see who would win. “Bo mentioned it.”

“You were there for him all during your senior year. Why did you have to dump him?”

That was the pot calling the kettle black. “I went to college. The same one you went to.”

The slight stain on Aidan’s cheeks told Trev that Aidan wasn’t unaware of his own guilt. “Yeah, maybe that’s why I have trouble with you. You remind me of all the things I did wrong with Bo. How close were you? I remember him talking incessantly about you every time I managed to come home, and then one day, he just stopped. He wouldn’t even say your name. He said Mouse was the only true friend he had.”

“Beth.”

“His words, not mine.”

Trev had to shake his head. “I don’t know. I know that sounds horrible, but I don’t know what happened. I got involved in football, and I ignored him. He called, and when I was at home and sober, which wasn’t that often, I would talk to him. I liked Bo. I never had a little brother. I really liked him. And by my sophomore year, I was sober during the season, but the minute I wasn’t playing, I spent the time drunk or high. I didn’t talk to him much after that. I opted into the draft after my junior year. It was the last really great season I had. It was the last season I stayed sober. The rest is history. I signed one huge deal and threw it all away.”

Aidan sighed. “I’m worried about Bo. I don’t know what losing Beth is going to do to him. He might not admit it, but she’s been his anchor for years now. He’s really upset that you’re dating her. I think he’s going to be even more upset when he discovers you’ve begun a D/s relationship with her. I would assume you’ve done that. Or, are you aiming for vanilla?”

Aidan said the word “vanilla” with just a hint of disdain. Trev could reassure him on that point. “We haven’t formalized anything, and she’s going to require training, but she’s amenable to the lifestyle, thanks to your wife’s books.”

Aidan’s face suddenly turned youthful as he grinned. “Leo hates them. He thinks they make us all look like wimps. I like them. I like that all of Lexi’s stories have happy endings.” His face turned a little sad. “I know Bo made his own bed with that girl.”

“It wouldn’t have worked.” Trev knew it deep down, but it didn’t stop the guilt that formed a knot in his stomach. “Bo isn’t a Dom. If I had to guess, I would say he’s actually more submissive than anything else. He needs a strong woman in his life. He needs someone who will make decisions and allow him to be who he is.”

Aidan’s eyes became hooded. “A woman, or a man.”

Trev felt his brows rise. “You think he’s bisexual? I never got that off him. I always felt like he was looking for a big brother or a father figure, not a lover.”

“I didn’t say he was like me. I said that he could use a Dom. You know it doesn’t have to involve sex. I believe Bo really does care for Beth, and Beth cares for Bo. You wouldn’t be the first Dom to find himself in a ménage because his sub needs it.”

The words hit him like a lightning rod. Share Beth? Why the hell would he do that? Bo didn’t want him here. He sure as fuck wouldn’t want to share a woman with him. And he wasn’t staying. He wasn’t good for anyone.

“Just think about it,” Aidan said.

Trev didn’t want to think about it. He was already wondering if he wasn’t going to get Beth in trouble. Bo would be more trouble than Trev could handle. And it brought up a couple of questions. “You don’t even like me. Why the hell would you want me in a ménage with your brother?”

“It’s not that I don’t like you.” Aidan ran a hand through his hair. “I don’t know you. I’m bringing you into my home, and that makes me nervous. But Julian assures me you’re a good Dom. I would do just about anything to help my brother. I hurt him in the past. I didn’t mean to, but I was just one more male authority figure who walked away and left him alone. He needs more than I can give him. I believe he would be happiest in a ménage with a strong Dom and another sub. Don’t worry about it, Trev. He won’t listen to me. He’s determined to have a white-picket-fence lifestyle. I think he’s still rebelling. Or he doesn’t want to go through what I’ve gone through. It’s hard to live the way we do, especially in a small town.” He slapped at the desk and got up. He held out a hand, and Trev took it. “Just do your job. We’ll get on just fine.”

Trev pushed himself up out of the chair, his heart still pounding. He couldn’t share Beth. He just couldn’t. He fucking needed her. He needed her right now.

“Thanks. I’ll take a couple of minutes and then go out and meet the men. Can you give me half an hour?” He didn’t want the fucking job. He wanted to walk away, but he couldn’t. His need to get drunk off his ass just kept rising with every damn word Aidan said.

“Sure. Take all the time you need. Will you think about what I said? Will you consider giving Bo a chance?” Aidan stared at him, his face a mask of blatant desire.

“I’ll consider it. But Bo hates me. I don’t know why, but I have to take that into consideration. He won’t go down easy.” Trev didn’t want him to go down at all. He wanted to be left alone with Beth.

Was he the best man for her? With all the baggage he carried?

Fuck. His cock didn’t care. He wasn’t sure who would win that battle.

Aidan nodded. “That’s all I can ask. Just think about it.”

Trev walked out of the office door and closed it.

Beth stood outside, her eyes grave. He took a step toward her. He knew he shouldn’t touch her feeling the way he did. Something ugly was inside him, but he couldn’t help himself. He needed her. He needed her right fucking now.

“Where’s the bathroom?” he heard himself say.

Beth took his hand and led him down the hall.